"This picture has been photoshopped", is a very common phrase that we encounter when we see an image which we really don't expect to. But, is "photoshopped" really the right word? Actually the correct term is "graphically modified" which is performed using image editing softwares and Photoshop, although the most popular, is just one among many.
Photoshop is an image editing software created and maintained by Adobe, but with such massive popularity, ease to use and mild learning curve, the verb "photshop" has taken over (much like verbs like "google" and "tweet"). However, when it comes to price, it seems that Photoshop is not that cheap. It ranges from Rs 5000 to Rs 20000 according to the suite you need. But the good news is that Photoshop isn't the only tool.
So today we are going to list some amazing unheard tools which are almost at par with Photoshop when compared to features and they can help you do your image editing tasks without paying such a high price.
GIMP is famously known as Photoshop for Linux. So yes, GIMP is available on all 3 platforms (Windows, Linux and MAC). An open source tool, it offers a wide range of tools and somewhat stands neck to neck with Photoshop. It is totally free, community developed and maintained. It has similar UI as compared to Photoshop. This means that if you are comfortable with Photoshop, getting to know GIMP wouldn't be a tough task. The features include painting tools, color correction, cloning, selection and enhancement in addition to a lot of other cool stuff. So this tool allows you accomplish your image editing task for *FREE.
Another awesome and free tool is PAINT.NET. It is available on Windows only and is open source. It is very efficient and feature rich when compared to Microsoft Paint. It has a tool set which allows you options like blend, tile, repeat, change perspective and layer creation. Although, it might miss one or two latest effects present in latest Photoshop, it gets the basic stuff done easily.
Pixlr is a new inclusion and is totally free. It is available on Windos, MAC, Web Browser, Android and iOS. This means you can you edit your images anytime and anywhere on your laptops or even your tablets and phones. Pixlr is less about image editing and more about effect and as said, it has over 500 effects and filters which you can directly apply on your images. So next time try to "pixlr up" your selfie rather "photoshopping". It is easy and fast.
Pixlr also has an online image editing tool, Pixlr Express, that gives you a variety of tools.
Seashore is inspired by GIMP and is open source. Alas, is it available only for MAC. You can perform layer based tasks, create gradients, textures and brush strokes. As compared to Photoshop, it only has basic tools, making it useful for non professional purposes only.
It is one of the best paid image editing solutions but it's not so famous. It has a full suite of Designer Tools, Web Designer and Layout Designer. It is significantly cheaper than Photoshop because its pricing is one time and product based rather than time based licensing. All Photoshop related tasks can be performed in XARA too but since it is not so popular, the number of tutorials are less and you might have to invest some time to learn it.
It is a professional designing tool available for MAC machines with a price less than $100. It also has a free trial version. With a simple UI, Sketch has many features including layers, gradients, color picker and style presets. It is also a vector editor allowing you to create stunning images from scratch. The only bad part is that it is not available for other platforms but when the price is compared, it is a pretty efficient one.
This one is for the beginners. It has simple adjustments, photo filters and probably nothing more. Simply fip through the effects and done. I guess this one is just for touching your pictures.
Did you try them all? Did we miss an important alternative? Do let us know in the comments below.